Overview

Valle del Mezquital, Hidalgo is one of Mexico's most marginalized regions, where Hñähñu (Otomí) indigenous artisans producing traditional ixtle fiber crafts faced systematic economic exploitation. Despite possessing centuries-old ancestral knowledge and creating high-quality handmade products, 37 artisan families lived in subsistence conditions due to extractive intermediary chains that paid producers $270 MXN for goods resold in Mexico City for nearly $400 MXN—capturing $100+ profit margins without adding value or recognizing the labor-intensive processes behind each piece.

Role

Ethnographic Researcher & Community Strategist
Community Developer (Full-time)

Responsibilities

• Lead long-term ethnographic research in indigenous communities

• Design and facilitate participatory workshops for organizational capacity building

• Synthesize qualitative data into actionable insights and intervention strategies

• Create multi-format educational materials (audiovisual, graphic, print)

• Organize and execute fair-trade expo-sales connecting producers with conscious consumers

• Coordinate multi-stakeholder initiatives (NGO, artisans, buyers, institutions)

Timeline

11-month intensive project
Discovery & Diagnosis: 4 months (Aug-Nov 2017)
Co-Design & Capacity Building: 3 months (Dec 2017-Feb 2018)
Implementation & Market Access: 4 months (Mar-Jun 2018)
Continuous Evaluation: Throughout entire project

Full-time: Aug 2017 - Jun 2018
(Previous volunteer work: May-Jul 2017)

Tools

• Research:

  • Semi-structured interview protocols

  • Participant observation field notes

  • Audio/video documentation

  • Affinity mapping (manual synthesis)

  • Process mapping (collaborative)

  • Journey mapping (artisan-to-consumer)

  Design & Communication:

  • Adobe Creative Suite (with graphic designers)

  • Video production & editing - Finalcut

  • Infographic design tools

  • Photography documentation (200+ images)

  Project Management:

  • Monthly ethnographic reports

  • Quarterly impact reports

  • Meeting minutes & documentation

  • Multi-actor coordination systems

Process

From Volunteer to Researcher

I joined Cooperación Comunitaria AC (an NGO improving living conditions in rural communities through sustainable self-management) as a volunteer in May 2017. After three months of immersion, I was hired full-time as Community Developer to lead: "Increasing self-sufficiency of artisans from Cardonal, Hidalgo communities through strengthening their economic and organizational capacities."

Rather than treating this as a typical capacity-building project, I recognized a critical research opportunity: Could rigorous ethnographic research reveal systemic barriers preventing indigenous artisans from capturing fair value for their labor, and could community-centered co-design generate sustainable economic solutions?

01.Discovery & Ethnographic Immersion

Cultural Heritage Under Threat

For centuries, the Hñähñu people have utilized maguey (agave), calling it the "tree of wonders." The ixtle fiber—extracted from agave lechuguilla and salmiana—was traditionally used for rituals, clothing, household items, construction, and generated sustainable local economy.

However, traditional productive activities had nearly disappeared due to:

1. Exploitation by Dishonest Intermediaries

• Artisans sold ixtle/finished products as raw materials without added value

• Unfair trade: Intermediaries paid minimal fractions of final value

• Concrete example: Producers received $270 MXN for products resold in CDMX for nearly $400 MXN, with intermediaries capturing $100+ margins

2. Displacement by Plastics

• Low-cost synthetic materials replaced natural fibers

• Loss of traditional techniques and knowledge

3. Lack of Access to Fair Markets

• Artisans couldn't position products in urban conscious consumer markets

• Complete dependency on intermediaries for commercialization

4. Invisibilization of Value

• Urban buyers unaware of labor-intensive processes (days/weeks of manual work)

• Cultural significance and ancestral knowledge unrecognized

2. Synthesis & Problem Identification

Mixed-Methods Ethnographic Approach

🧩 Synthesis

Critical Pain Points Identified

Through affinity mapping of 37 interview transcripts and field notes, I synthesized recurring patterns into three systemic barriers:

Synthesis: The Systemic Problem

Economic Exploitation + Cultural Invisibilization + Organizational Fragmentation = Persistent Poverty Despite Valuable Production

This wasn't a "skills deficit" problem—artisans possessed world-class ancestral techniques. This was a market access + information asymmetry + power dynamics problem that required systemic intervention, not just training.

Key Insight: Solutions imposed externally would replicate extractive dynamics. The path forward required co-designed interventions where artisans themselves identified priorities and designed solutions.

The Core Problem Identified

Despite possessing valuable ancestral knowledge and producing high-quality crafts, Hñähñu artisan families lived in subsistence conditions because extractive commercial chains did not recognize their labor nor preserve their cultural heritage.

This became an exploration in economic anthropology—understanding how cultural invisibilization enables economic exploitation, and how ethnographic research can reveal pathways to economic justice.

Research Protocol

Phase 1: Ethnographic Immersion (Aug-Nov 2017)

Intensive Fieldwork:

• Conducted 37 in-depth interviews with artisan families (68% women, 32% men, ages 25-70)

• 20+ recurrent visits to 3 communities: La Vega, El Decá, Pozuelos

• 2-4 days per visit living in communities, observing daily life and production processes

Techniques Employed:

• Bilingual interviews with elders (Spanish-Hñähñu with local translator support)

• Think-aloud protocols during production processes

• Photo documentation of every stage: maguey harvesting → fiber extraction → cardado → spinning → weaving

• Collaborative process mapping with artisans identifying bottlenecks

Research Questions:

1. What are the current economic models and commercialization chains?

2. What cultural practices and ancestral knowledge are embedded in ixtle production?

3. What are the critical pain points preventing artisans from capturing fair value?

4. What organizational capacities exist or need strengthening?

5. How do artisans perceive their own work's value vs. market perception?

Context:

In the Mezquital Valley where traditional crafts represent cultural heritage at risk of disappearance, and where 53.93% of communities in the region face high marginalization, fair trade initiatives become critical both for economic survival and cultural preservation.

Our Impact

Through 11 months of immersive ethnographic research, I conducted 37 in-depth interviews, facilitated 15+ participatory workshops, and co-designed solutions with the Grupo Wäda artisan cooperative that achieved:

📈 56% increase in monthly sales ($2,700 → $4,200 MXN average)
🤝 37 artisan families empowered (68% women, 32% men)
📚 30+ educational materials created (videos, infographics, printed materials)
🌍 6,000+ people sensitized about fair trade and cultural value
✊ Grupo Wäda consolidated as autonomous organized collective
🎓 100% elimination of extractive intermediaries in 2 direct sales channels

The Socioeconomic Context

Valle del Mezquital, Hidalgo hosts 18,427 Hñähñu (Otomí) indigenous inhabitants in Cardonal municipality alone. The region faces:

• 53.93% of communities with high marginalization index

• Semi-desert climate with water scarcity and limited natural resources

• Massive migration to the United States due to economic hardship

• Cultural heritage at risk: Traditional maguey-based crafts disappearing

I designed a long-term immersive research protocol combining qualitative depth with participatory validation.

Target Population Profile

37 Artisan Families from 3 Communities:

• La Vega (ixtle fiber extraction specialists)

• El Decá (Grupo Wäda cooperative: weavers and embroiderers)

• Pozuelos (mixed production)

Key Characteristics:

• Ages: 25-70 years

• Gender: 68% women, 32% men

• Context: Missionary catechists, farmers, artisans working in high-stress, high-violence regions

• Challenge: Zero prior exposure to fair trade concepts, limited organizational capacity, complete dependency on intermediaries

Cultural Sensitivity Considerations:

• Language barriers (Spanish-Hñähñu)

• Initial mistrust toward external agents (history of extractive researchers)

• Diverse literacy levels and formal education

• Strong communal values and collective decision-making traditions

⚠️ PAIN POINT 1: Extractive Intermediary Exploitation

📊 Frequency: 37/37 families (100%)
🔴 Severity: Critical
💼 Business Impact: Direct poverty perpetuation

The Evidence:

• Concrete pricing gap: Artisans sold finished ixtle products for $270 MXN; intermediaries resold same products in Mexico City for nearly $400 MXN

• Profit extraction: Intermediaries captured $100+ margins (37% markup) without adding value

• Unfair pricing logic: Based solely on supply/demand, NOT on:

  • Years of maguey maturation time

  • Days/weeks of intensive manual labor per piece

  • Ancestral knowledge transmission

  • Cultural significance

💬 "The intermediaries pay us whatever they want. We don't know how much our work is really worth in the city. We just accept what they offer because we have no other option."
— Artisan from La Vega, age 52

Root Cause: Complete lack of direct market access + information asymmetry = power imbalance enabling exploitation.

⚠️ PAIN POINT 2: Cultural Value Invisibilization

📊 Frequency: 37/37 families (100%)
🟠 Severity: High
🎭 Cultural Impact: Heritage erasure risk

The Evidence:

Urban consumers were completely unaware that ixtle products:

1. Required ancestral processes transmitted generationally

2. Involved intensive manual labor:

   • Maguey carving (tallado)

   • Fiber extraction

   • Drying (several days)

   • Carding (cardado)

   • Spinning (hilado)

   • Weaving/embroidery

3. Represented Hñähñu cultural heritage at risk of disappearance

4. Offered environmental benefits vs. plastics:

   • Biodegradable

   • CO₂ fixation

   • Erosion prevention in semi-desert ecosystem

💬 "People in the city think these bags are just 'rustic crafts.' They don't know we spent a week making each one. They don't know our grandmothers taught us these techniques. They just see a product and want to negotiate the price down."
— Artisan from El Decá, age 47

Root Cause: No storytelling mechanisms to communicate cultural + environmental + labor value = commodification without recognition.

⚠️ PAIN POINT 3: Lack of Collective Organization

📊 Frequency: 37/37 families (100%)
🟡 Severity: Medium-High
💪 Organizational Impact: Limited negotiating power

The Evidence:

• Artisans worked isolated, competing against each other for low prices

• No collective commercial strategy or shared brand

• Limited organizational capacity to negotiate with buyers/institutions

• Dependency mindset: Waiting for intermediaries rather than seeking alternatives

💬 "We all make similar products, but we don't work together. Sometimes we even compete for the same intermediary's attention. If we organized, maybe we'd have more power."
— Artisan from Pozuelos, age 38

Root Cause: No tradition of cooperative structures + external exploitation had fostered individualistic survival strategies.

03. 🤝 Co-Design with Community

Participatory Solution Development (Dec 2017 - Feb 2018)

Based on ethnographic findings, I facilitated 15+ participatory workshops with artisans and embroiderers from Grupo Wäda at Taller Xido Ngu in El Decá.

Workshop Themes:

• Organizational capacity building

• Product costing methodology (including labor time valuation)

• Commercialization strategies

• Cultural value narrative development

Critical Principle: Solutions were CO-DESIGNED, not imposed externally.

Solutions Co-Created by Artisans

1. Experiential Demonstrative Workshops

Artisan Proposal:
💬 "People need to see with their own eyes how difficult it is to extract ixtle. Then they'll understand why it costs what it costs."

Co-Designed Solution:

• Organize live demonstration workshops in Mexico City

• Artisans would showcase carving, extraction, carding, and spinning in real-time

• Urban consumers witness labor-intensive processes firsthand

My Role:

• Logistical coordination with CDMX fair-trade spaces

• Pedagogical itinerary design

• Alliance building (e.g., Fundación ADO for transportation)

• Management and program planning 

2. Consolidation of Grupo Wäda as Organized Collective

Identified Need:
Strengthen collective organization to negotiate better prices and execute joint projects

My Role:

• Facilitation of organizational capacity workshops

• Documentation of collective agreements

• Support in collaborative planning processes

Outcome:

• Grupo Wäda transitioned from informal gathering → structured cooperative

• Developed autonomous decision-making capacity

• Gained confidence to design and execute projects independently

3. Product Diversification with Added Value

Artisan Innovation:
Produce maguey syrup (processed aguamiel) as additional commercializable product

My Role:

• Professional label design for commercialization

• Coordination of sanitary permits

• Connection with potential buyers in conscious consumer networks

4. Cultural Storytelling Strategy

Co-Creation Process:

• Artisans narrated stories and legends about maguey and traditional practices

• I documented these narratives audiovisually

• Integrated into educational materials to humanize products

Goal: Emotional connection between urban consumers and artisan producers

💬 "When people know our stories—when they see our faces and hear why maguey is sacred to us—they stop haggling. They start asking questions. They want to support us."
— Artisan from Grupo Wäda, age 55

Phase 3: Creating Educational Materials (Mar-Jun 2018)

To combat cultural invisibilization, I designed and produced 30+ multi-format educational materials in collaboration with graphic designers and artisans.

Audiovisual Production (3 videos + multiple GIFs):

1. "From Maguey to Ixtle: A Paused Production Process" (8-minute documentary)

   • Documents entire chain: maguey harvesting → carving → fiber extraction → transformation

   • Features artisan voices explaining each step

   • Goal: Dimensionalize and value Hñähñu artisan labor

2. Animated GIFs for social media

   • Showcasing carding and spinning techniques

   • Short-form content for digital engagement

Digital & Print Infographics (5+):

1. "Extraction and Transformation Process of Ixtle" (step-by-step illustration)

2. "The Maguey: Environmental and Sociocultural Importance for Valle del Mezquital"

   • Ecological benefits: CO₂ fixation, erosion prevention

   • Comparison vs. plastic alternatives

3. Hñähñu Cultural Heritage Infographic

4. Fair Trade Principles & Impact

Print Materials (20+ pieces):

• Educational trifolds about ixtle and derivatives

• Point-of-sale posters with value narrative

• Professional labels for maguey syrup (communicating origin, artisan process, benefits)

• Dissemination materials about fair trade initiative

Photographic Archive:

• 200+ high-quality photographs documenting processes, artisan portraits, Valle del Mezquital landscapes

• Usage: Exhibitions, social media, dissemination materials

04.📚 Implementation & Market Access

Expo-Sales: Direct Market Access in Mexico City

Event 1: Ixtle Demonstrative Workshop (May 19-20, 2018)

Location: Mexico City (Mercado Alternativo Tlalpan + Tianguis Bosque de Agua, Coyoacán)
Participants: Artisans from La Vega, El Decá, and Pozuelos (Grupo Wäda)
Format: Live demonstration of labor-intensive processes + direct sales

Innovation: Artisans personally explained their work, humanizing the products

Alliances: Fundación ADO (logistics/transportation support)

Impact:

• 300+ attendees engaged directly with artisans

• Direct sales without intermediaries—artisans captured full product value

• Sensitization about fair trade principles

• Reduced haggling: Consumers who witnessed processes paid fair prices without negotiation

💬 Urban Consumer Testimonial:
"I had no idea that an ixtle bag took days of work. Seeing the process live made me understand why it's worth what it's worth. This is art, not just a product."

Event 2: Knowledge Transfer Workshop in Taller Xido Ngu, El Decá

Format: 2-day workshop facilitated BY Hñähñu artisans FOR producers from Tlaxcala (Grupo Pulmex)

Goal: Horizontal knowledge transfer between artisan communities

My Role:

• Pedagogical itinerary design

• Logistical coordination

• Facilitation of knowledge exchange

Outcome:

• Strengthened teaching capacities of Hñähñu artisans (positioned as instructors/experts)

• Artisans gained confidence recognizing their expertise had value beyond their own community

💬 Artisan Facilitator:
"Teaching other artisans made us realize we know a lot. Before, we thought our work wasn't important, but now we see other communities want to learn from us."

Continuous Commercial Management

Throughout March-June 2018:

• Purchase-sale-distribution: I intermediated commercialization of cultural goods in CDMX through Cooperación Comunitaria AC

• Monthly monitoring: Sales tracking, buyer feedback, strategy adjustments

• Direct producer-consumer connections: Facilitated direct contact for custom orders

Critical Difference: Unlike extractive intermediaries, Cooperación Comunitaria operated on fair trade principles—transparent pricing, producer education about market value, profit-sharing aligned with labor contribution.

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